This invention relates generally to fishing and fish landing nets and particularly to a net handle or shaft guide and handle or shaft locking device.
It is common for a fish net handle to be telescopically inter-connected to a handle guide, so as to collapse or withdraw into a fish net means or fish net frame means as a means of reducing the bulk or space occupied by the fish net during transport and while fishing. The use of a fish net with a telescoping or extendable handle requires, preliminary to use in landing a fish, moving the telescoping handle from a collapsed or withdrawn position to the extended position and locking the handle, in a fixture or guide, to insure that the handle remains extended during the fish landing process. Prior art requires the use of two hands to accomplish this maneuver; first in moving the handle from the collapsed position to the point where a locking pin contacts a generally cylindrical handle guide; second in rotating the handle until the locking pin is aligned with an aperture; third in depressing the locking pin and further withdrawing the telescoping handle to allow the locking pin to engage the aperture. Such action is difficult for the fisherman alone with a fish on the line. In addition to complexity of operation, prior art is of substantial complexity in machining or fabrication. U.S. Pat. No. 4,870,773 to Schmucker et al. requires two handed operation. U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,293 to Boehm presents a handle having multiple cross-sections while preferring the release portion of the handle to be circular in cross-section. The patents referred to herein are provided herewith in an Information Disclosure Statement in accordance with 37 CFR 1.97.
The Fish Net Handle Guide and Locking Apparatus of this invention permits operation with one hand. The operation contemplates the fisherman handling and holding a fishing pole with a fish hooked and ready to be secured in a fish net. The fisherman grasps the handle of the fish net of this invention, steps on the most distal portion of the net frame and draws the handle through a handle guide aperture and counter bore in the handle guide and locking apparatus, toward the extended position. A locking pin assembly presents a spring extended locking pin positioned proximal the handle first end which encounters a chamfer at the fish net handle guide and locking apparatus top side; the chamfer causes the locking pin to depress. As the handle is withdrawn further the depressed locking pin entering a locating counterbore which terminates at a locating shoulder at which point the fisherman""s rotation of the handle will cause the locking pin to encounter and enter a locking aperture thus placing the fish net in condition for secure operation.
In the preferred embodiment the locking assembly is composed of plastic formed from an injection molding process. However machining, stamping, extruding, pressing and other manner of metal and material forming may be utilized to construct the invention from metal, composite materials, plastics, nylon and other similar materials.